A parliamentary majority also supported the proposal to construct the outer contour of Maasvlakte 2 in a single operation. This is an attractive option, both for environmental and financial reasons. It had been proposed earlier moving these sea defences further out to sea in phases, in response to the need for industrial space. However, no one in Rotterdam is concerned about market demand for space, so that the construction of the definitive sea defences in a single operation was justified.

European legislation on air quality that came into force in 2005 has placed extra pressure on preparations for the Maasvlakte 2 project during the past 18 months. Air quality standards are at present being exceeded at some locations in the Rotterdam region. Maasvlakte 2 will mean extra traffic and could therefore cause these limits to be exceeded even further. Before the subject of Maasvlakte 2 was debated in parliament, the Ministers of Transport, Public Works and Water Management (V&W) and Housing, Spatial Planning & the Environment (VROM) had announced a package of measures that could be introduced in phases if necessary to improve air quality in the region to such an extent that, when Maasvlakte 2 is in use, air quality in the region will not get any worse. The package includes an incentive scheme for cleaner engines for inland vessels and dynamic traffic management for road transport and inland shipping.

Now that parliament has taken the ‘go’ decision, the Maasvlakte 2 project is no longer on the national political agenda. It is now up to the Port Authority and local, regional and national authorities to continue preparations for the land reclamation. The Environmental Impact Reports for the construction and use of Maasvlakte 2 will be completed around the turn of the year, after which the zoning plan will then go through all the usual subsequent procedures. Minister Peijs of Transport, Public Works and Water Management announced during the parliamentary debate that she would do whatever was necessary and possible to accelerate these procedures.

Two construction consortia are currently competing for the construction of Maasvlakte 2: Boskalis - Van Oord of the Netherlands and Jan de Nul - Dredging International of Belgium. The Port Authority expects to conclude a contract with one of these consortia in mid-2007. A contract was concluded with APM Terminals last spring for a container terminal which will eventually cover 167 hectares. In addition, there is currently an open tender process in progress for a 138hectare container terminal, for which five consortia of shipping companies and stevedores are competing. They were required to submit their final tenders last month. Here too, the Port Authority expects to conclude a contract in mid-2007 and this terminal will be the first to be put into use. The schedule is for the actual construction of Maasvlakte 2 to begin in 2008 so that the first ship can dock at the quayside in 2013.

MJ Information No: 22428